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Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Senate in veterans gun rights fight

Some in the Senate are playing games again and at the heart of it is the filibuster blockage too many have used in the past.

Senator Coburn says that judges should decide if a “mentally incompetent” veteran should have a gun or not. How would this be done? Every veteran with a gun permit and a PTSD diagnosis has to go to court and talk to a judge about what it took far too long to talk about in the first place? Imagine how that would go over. Has he ever heard about how long it takes to get in front of a judge? If he thinks this will work then how would a veteran pay for a lawyer? If they are "“mentally incompetent” then does he think they will be able to defend themselves?

They tried this before and President Bush signed the bill tied to it as Joshua Omvig Suicide Prevention Bill and I was asking what's the best answer in 2012 because there aren't any easy answers other than making sure when our veterans come home and need help, they get it.

The Democrats answer hasn't worked because they are going after the way the veterans commit suicide and not the reason they commit suicide.

Change on veterans’ gun rights lights fire
Coburn wants decisions by judge rather than VA for impaired troops
By David Sherfinski
The Washington Times Monday
December 3, 2012

A major defense-spending bill hit an unexpected bump on its journey through the U.S. Senate over an amendment on veterans’ gun rights, which devolved into a heated floor debate and foreshadows a potential battle over Democrats’ vows to tweak the filibuster rules in the clubby, traditionally collegial body.

Sen. Tom Coburn, Oklahoma Republican, wants veterans who have been deemed “mentally incompetent” to have their cases adjudicated by a judge — rather than the Department of Veterans Affairs, as happens currently — and argued that veterans who simply cannot support themselves financially are needlessly given the label and, as such, cannot buy or possess firearms.

“We’re not asking for anything big,” Mr. Coburn said Thursday evening on the Senate floor. “We’re just saying that if you’re going to take away the Second Amendment rights … they ought to have it adjudicated, rather than mandated by someone who’s unqualified to state that they should lose their rights.”read more here

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Vietnam Veterans of AmericaCrisis Phone Numberspecial noticeIf you are a veteran in emotional crisis and need help RIGHT NOW, call this toll-free number 1-800-273-8255, available 24/7, and tell them you are a veteran. All calls are confidential.http://www.vva.org/

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